Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree 10-15 meters tall, native to Sri Lanka and South India. The bark is widely used as a spice due to its distinct odor. In India, it is also known as "Daalchini". The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, 7-18 cm long. Cinnamon has been known from remote antiquity, and it was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and other great potentates. It was imported to Egypt from China as early as 2000 BC and is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus.
